Berkeley vs. MIT Physics

[MmmQuarks]

The term freak out week is so appropriate. 

Facts:

- I want to do Ab initio calculations in condensed matter.

- Berkeley has the best groups on the world for this. Also way more than MIT.

- At MIT I will have to work at an Astro lab for the first year or find another lab to fund me (making progress in doing this)

- Havingn visited both, think I would be much happier at MIT. I liked the people and the atmosphere better. Also the money  

- the fact that MIT is MIT is definitely biasing me. 

 

Basically, I think I will be much happier at MIT and it makes much more sense should I leave physics. But for what (I think) I want to do, Berkeley is better and the path will be easier. Am I crazy if I go to MIT?

[Entangled Phantoms]

1 hour ago, MmmQuarks said:

The term freak out week is so appropriate. 

Facts:

- I want to do Ab initio calculations in condensed matter.

- Berkeley has the best groups on the world for this. Also way more than MIT.

- At MIT I will have to work at an Astro lab for the first year or find another lab to fund me (making progress in doing this)

- Havingn visited both, think I would be much happier at MIT. I liked the people and the atmosphere better. Also the money  

- the fact that MIT is MIT is definitely biasing me. 

 

Basically, I think I will be much happier at MIT and it makes much more sense should I leave physics. But for what (I think) I want to do, Berkeley is better and the path will be easier. Am I crazy if I go to MIT?

No.

[CavityQED]

I completely get where you're coming from, however Berkeley is just as well regarded as MIT inside the field of physics. I think the  best way to go about this is to ask yourself about what the goal of your PhD is. Are you envisioning it as a tool to get a job in finance? Or do you want to pursue industry/academia? I think the answer will guide you to determining the path that's most conducive to reaching your goal. That's not to say that you'll never change your mind in the process. Also you mention you'll be happier at MIT because of the people, but will the research be good enough as well, because that will be your primary focus for 5-7 years. I've known a handful of grad students at my current school who came in wanting to work in high energy theory and they ended up having to leave 3-4 years in because they couldn't find a faculty advisor (I should add that our physics department is one of the best in the world too) so even at good schools, making sure that you'll have someone to work with and look out for you is important.

Just my two cents. You have great options and ultimately I don't think there's a wrong choice. GL!

[MmmQuarks]

22 hours ago, CavityQED said:

I completely get where you're coming from, however Berkeley is just as well regarded as MIT inside the field of physics. I think the  best way to go about this is to ask yourself about what the goal of your PhD is. Are you envisioning it as a tool to get a job in finance? Or do you want to pursue industry/academia? I think the answer will guide you to determining the path that's most conducive to reaching your goal. That's not to say that you'll never change your mind in the process. Also you mention you'll be happier at MIT because of the people, but will the research be good enough as well, because that will be your primary focus for 5-7 years. I've known a handful of grad students at my current school who came in wanting to work in high energy theory and they ended up having to leave 3-4 years in because they couldn't find a faculty advisor (I should add that our physics department is one of the best in the world too) so even at good schools, making sure that you'll have someone to work with and look out for you is important.

Just my two cents. You have great options and ultimately I don't think there's a wrong choice. GL!

Thanks @CavityQED. You're right I have no bad options, I just feel like I'm making a decision for the wrong reasons. If I made it about the work and nothing else, I would go to Berkeley. They are the best at this stuff. MIT still has people doing it, just fewer (and literally all of them did their PhD or Post doc at Berkeley).  Of course I have never done DFT so it feels silly to make the call just based on that, but Berkeley is so strong in everything so it wouldn't matter.

Basically Berkeley seems so much more prudent, but MIT is where I want to go. It would probably behoove me to remember that A) I can transfer if I need. B ) there is not a huge difference!!!!!!!!!!!

jesus I need a drink. Feel like such an asshole for being so unhappy with these amazing options.

[Nichi]

If you're very sure you won't change your mind and are willing to sacrifice some happiness to work with the Berkeley people, go there. If you are willing to work harder to make MIT work for the sake of the happiness or see the chance of switching interests to something MIT excels in, go there.

Five to seven years is a fairly long while. I would consider what you want to do in those years and go wherever will best enable doing that. (I know you said  Ab initio calculations in condensed matter. Is that all you want to do?)